


What once was and how it ended

by Konoha79



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Angst, Broken Promises, Drama, Emotional Hurt, Violence, also child!Kairi, and leas, have some angsty boys fearing for their lives, it hurt writing this, leas heart is as bright as a flame, my take on how isa and lea could have become nobodies, set after birth by sleep, they wanna protect each other, this is pure angst and a bit of horror, those two were best friends at one point and the dramatic change hurts my heart
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-20
Updated: 2018-07-20
Packaged: 2019-06-13 10:15:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,009
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15362298
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Konoha79/pseuds/Konoha79
Summary: Lea runs. He runs for his live. His lungs feel like they are on fire, a fire that burns up his dry throat. Every single move of his legs send waves of pain up and down his body, but he doesnt stop. He cant stop. If he gives into exhaustion now, it will be over, forever. Lea swallows hard and tries so hard to remember how it could come to this...~Radiant Garden is attacked by the heartless. Lea and Isa are in the middle of it, with the goal to keep the other safe.(My take on how those two lost their hearts)





	What once was and how it ended

**Author's Note:**

> Hey there, I love the Lesa friendship and think it needs more attention.  
> To add a bit angst, this is my take on how those two became nobodies.  
> Its canon that the first six were created after the explosion that happened in the castle.  
> But its also considered canon that Lea and Isa had to die on castle grounds, since they reawaken as somebodies in the same place as the others.  
> I think the invasion that happened at one point in their home would be the perfect way of this happening.  
> This is about how the heartless invade Radiant Garden and swallow it up into the darkness.  
> Its Lea and Isa watching their home fall into destruction. 
> 
> Again! This is character death!  
> Their somebodies still die even if they reawaken as nobodies at one point. Dont like, dont read. My last warning.

Lea runs. He runs for his live. His lungs feel like they are on fire, a fire that burns up his dry throat. Every single move of his legs send waves of pain up and down his body, but he doesn't stop. He cant stop. If he gives into exhaustion now, it will be over, forever.

A strangled scream comes out of a house only a few meters away. Lea looks up, only seeing darkness crawling out of the window, swallowing the walls, coloring the whole building pitch black.

_They also are able to get inside closed off spaces now._

Nothing is safe anymore then.

Lea swallows hard and tries so hard to remember how it could come to this...

...

Today was such a beautiful day. A day like any other. The sun was out shining bright, no clouds to be seen. It was hot, so damn hot, just like Lea prefers it. He loves the heat, the complete opposite to his best friend, whom almost melts as soon as the sun is out. The weather was the perfect way to round up the summer vacation feeling. No school, at least for a few days, the last days of summer vacation, how sad. But that only means that they have to use the precious time they still have left! 

This is exactly why Lea left his house that day, to go out and eat some ice cream with his mentioned best friend: Isa. Seasalt-icecream.

The mere thought alone makes his mouth water, a salty taste spreading on his tongue.

His joy was growing with each step he took, and then... it happened. 

Black smoke slithering through the streets, clouding over the heaven, collecting black clouds in its making. Black, oh so black, mixed with a sickening purple, which couldn't mean anything good. Suddenly the temperature drops. A chill creeped up his spine. Its icy and the clouds break. 

Thunder and lightning filled the air, as well as the deafening sound of heavy raindrops hitting the pavement. Its raining like mad. 

That is exactly how it looks right now, there only is one difference. The little black creatures growing out of the shadows, hunting down the streets. Little and black, with creepy yellow eyes. Creatures that look strange, scary but not like they could do much damage. They were wrong, oh how wrong they were. Once one of them got close to Radiant Gardens former castle gardener- Lea will never forget his screams, or the heart, which was ripped out of the mans chest.

Since then people are in panic. The whole city is a battlefield. Former soldiers and guards of the castle that once was, as well as many volunteers fight against the monsters. In the meantime, especially children and their parents were fleeing into their homes, barricading the door, thinking they would be save, praying to the heavens that someone will save them but.. help never came. 

They thought buildings were safe. Lea just saw the mistake of that believe. No place is safe. Nothing is safe from the darkness. 

That is the reason why he is running. Not because the soldiers told him so, or Kairi's grandmother asked him to look for a safe place where he can hide. No, its because he saw what those creatures do and there is one person he wants to spare from that fate more than anyone else. 

"Isa~a!" Lea screams, while he stumbles down the darkness covered streets.

The stores are abounded. Not a single soul to be seen. The nameless shadows seem to be less here. But they still are present. A silent hiss is the prove of that. Followed by a few little helpless screams.

"Kupo!" 

A Mogry! Lea realizes with a start and runs in his direction. His two frisbees, used by him as weapons, tightly grasped in his hands.

He raises them against the monsters. Its a bigger one, makes weird sounds with every step and wears a helmet on his head. Its looks like a soldier. Lea wonders how many soldiers it killed. He grits his teeth and hits harder, throwing the frisbee onto the heartless that has its big claws around the Mogry.

"Why don't you fight against someone your own height!", Lea mocks him once the creature turns around. His yellow like eyes stare him down, before his body starts to twirl creating some sort of Zyklon.

"Woah!" Lea has almost to no time to block the attack with his weapons, something the monster uses to jump onto his back.

"Hey!" The boy tries to get a hold of it. Pain shoots up his palms. The long crawls rip apart the skin of his hands. In the rush to get an idea Lea slams himself against the nearest wall to squash the monster. 

There is no blood. Lea doesn't know what he expected but its the first thing he notices. The pressure on his back vanishes, the creature is gone.

"Kupo, thank you, kupo!" The little Mogry nods in thanks.

"No problem." Lea smiles. "Search yourself a safe place, alright?" The Mogry nods and wants to hover away if there wouldn't be-

"Lea!"

The boy freezes as soon as he hears that voice. He turns as fast as his body allows it.

Behind him Kairi, the five year old little Kairi, that should be safe and sound with her grandmother, runs through the darkness. It looks like its shying away from her.

Lea gasps. 

Since Ienzo's death during the explosion in the castle, the little girl is even more clingy. Normally he doesn't mind, but in their current situation....

"Kairi!" Lea calls, meeting the girl halfway. She immediately cling to his arm. He presses her against himself for a second before forcing her away so he is able to look at her.

"What are you doing here, Kairi? You should be with your grandmother!"

"S-She told me, that you left! You cant leave, Lea! Its not safe! Those creatures are bad. They are full of darkness!" The girl says shaken, finger digging into his arm.

"Its fine, Kairi. I understand, but I cant stay with you."

"Lea, please! Come back with me!"

"I will, but I have to find Isa first. You don't want him running around outside all by himself now, do you?" Lea asks, kneeling down to her level.

"No." Kairi shakes her head after thinking for some time.

"See?" Lea carefully pets her head, drawing his hand back reluctant, once he notices that they are covered in blood. He wipes them off on his trousers so the girl doesn't notice. 

"I want to help!" She demands with a determined stomp of her foot.

"Kairi, you cant-"

"I can! And I am going too!"

"You already are helping me!" Lea interrupts her. "Do you remember the story your grandmother told you? About the children that rebuilt the lost world?"

The girl nods with a sniff. A scream echoes in the distance. Lea quickly takes her little hands into his and takes a deep breath, looking deep inside her eyes, so she only concentrates on him.

"Your heart is full of light, brighter than the hearts of any other child I know and once I found Isa, I will need such a strong light to find back to you. Do you understand? You have to stay with your grandmother and think about us, really really strong, so we can find your light. Okay? Can you do that?"

Big blue eyes blink up at him. Kairi nods once again with a big honest smile.

"I am going to lead you into safety!"

"Good girl!" Lea ruffles her hair and gets up again, glancing back to the Mogry. "Hey, Mog! Bring her home, will ya? And stay there with her."

"Kupo, kupo!" He confirms and flies up to the girl. She chuckles faintly, once the little Mogry floats beside her head.

"Everything will turn out fine, Kairi." Lea promises her, before she goes away with the Mogry.

Lea forces out a deep breath. His nails dig inside of his palms.

_If he could only believe himself..._

~

A quarter hour after Lea sent Kairi away he feels like throwing up every second. The running around without a break, the smoke and hard to breathe air mixed with everything he saw makes him nauseous. All the deaths, all the destruction.

If it wasn't for Isa he would have stopped a long time ago. 

The creatures are also growing in their amounts. They crawl out of every corner, leaving no space open. No ground that's not covered in black, no house that's free of them, even Isas is black, shadows streaming out of the front door. A sick feeling settles into Lea guts. 

_Isa, where are you?_

"Be gone!" A voice screams, instantly recognized by Lea. 

"Isa."

He fastens up his pace and soon sees the person he has been looking for since hours. Isa.

The bluehaired teen, holding his staff like weapon behind his back.

He is always carrying it backwards, bringing it forward with heavy strikes that are directed against one of the monsters.

The creature doesn't even react and jumps him.

"Isa!" A frisbee slams against the creature in midair. It falls to the ground and stays there as if being stunned.

Isa can only blink and reaches for the frisbee.

"That's..." His gaze lifts to meet Leas, standing no five meters apart from him, dirty and out of breath. "Lea."

The redhead nods with a smile and rushes to his friends, throwing himself into his arms in a smooth motion. Releasing all the fear and frustration. 

"I was so worried."

Isa can only smile and pull the boy tighter against his chest. His chin is resting on the flaming red hair relishing in their short moment of silence. That is until he takes a hold of the younger ones shoulder to push him away a bit, looking at him in a stern way.

"How comes you aren't in safety?"

"Cause you weren't." Lea responds as if its the most normal thing in the world.

"And that's why I never let you do anything on your own, because you always act stupid and careless." Isa sighs with a hand pressed against his forehead.

Lea can only laugh.

"You would have done the same for me, or why are you out here? For the thrill of it?"

Isa would like to laugh and joke around some more, but his face grows serious. 

"It doesn't change anything. Places the guards considerd to be safe are just as dangerous as the open streets. Sooner or later the creatures will find their way into any space, closed off or not." His voice sounds calm but disgusted.

"I wonder what those things are." Lea curls his fingers into a angry fist.

"No idea." Isa says, balancing out the weight of the staff he is holding. "But no matter what they are. They wont get us. I will make sure of that." 

"Hey, you aren't the only one that can fight." Lea takes his frisbee from the other and Isa nods, that is until he tilts his head to the side and takes Leas hand. They are scratched, deeper than it seemed at first and still bleeding. Single drops fall down his fingers.

"The creatures?" Blue eyes meet green.

"The creatures." He confirms and pulls his hand back. "But no worries, we should-"

The green eyes widen all of sudden, his gaze behind Isas shoulders. "We should rather run!"

He takes Isas hand into his and pulls him away. Isa glances back suspicious and recognizes a whole pack of those monsters storming into their reaction. His heart beats faster. He squeezes Leas hand, feeling the warm blood spread against his palms. They run.

They run together, zig-zaging their way around into the garden area of the castle.

"Where is Kairi." Isa asks, once he notices Leas speed dropping. He must be exhausted. His body slowly giving into the temptation of rest. 

"She.. she is safe." Lea hesitates with his responding. Isa understands why.

Safe. As safe as one can be in their situation. The bluehaired teen nods and runs ahead pulling the other one with him.

"Don't get behind, punk."

"Hehe, who is a punk? Low blow, Isa." 

With that Lea fastens up his steps, they soon leave the garden area and reach the castle grounds or at least whats left of it. Rumbles, bricks, glass. Everything is a big chaotic mess up here. Destroyed in a big heap. If they run around and jump over some rumble they could circle the big space and get back to the gardens, maybe even back to Merlins space, where Kairi should be right now. 

Lea looks for the best way to go, only now noticing the black particles flowing in the air, distorting reality around them. 

"Isa."

"I know." A deep breath leaves his lungs. They continue, not making it farther than a tipped pillar. Shadows are sprouting from it, taking on the form of these monsters. The floor beneath them looks like its covered in ink, black globs slowly creeping outta it. 

Scared both of them take a step back, while a whole armee is building up in front of them. Both lift their weapons.

Suddenly there is a chuckle. 

Isa frowns in confusion, glancing at Lea beside him, from whom the laughing comes. 

"Lea?" He asks, scared about the meaning of this. The boy immediately stops and breaths in and out.

"We always wanted an adventure, to see new things, to be true heroes and fight crimes. And now, look at us now. The first adventure we have and it ends with us dead in this chaos."

Isa is confused about the cheer in his voice, despite his words being that frightening. Until he can see his teary eyes, the trembling of his hands. Lea is scarred. But he still tries to smile through it and go down as sassy and sarcastic like he always ways.

Isa can only huff.

Lea knows the same Isa does. They are lost. They have lost. They were losers from the start. The whole invasion and their running, nothing more than a game, they had no chance of victory in. 

Isa smiles and chuckles. A rare sound that always makes the green eyes light up.

"I always told you that you would be a bad hero. You wouldn't save the girl, you would sass off with the enemy and then leave."

"But I would win the sass off!" Lea grins proud, hitting a hand against his chest. His eyes looking back and forth between Isa and the monsters. 

The once cheerful and carefree green covered by such a deep fear and hopelessness, it almost breaks Isa's heart. He has to distract his best friend somehow. He will be damned if he spends his last moments frightened to the core. 

Not like they have any time left. More and more monsters are sprouting from the ground, getting bigger and more frightening with the second.  
Both are pressing themselves against a pillar, cowering and making themselves as little as possible. Why cant they leave? Why do these creatures want to kill them that hard?  
Their fear cant be hidden anymore, any second they could die...

_I have to get Lea outta here, I cant let him die. Not like this._

_I have to protect Isa. It cant be over for him. It cant._

"Hey... Isa.." Lea suddenly says. His voice calm, filled with such sincerity. "Do you think we will always stay friends?"

Isa blinks confused. They will die any second and that's what he wonders about? If Isa will cancel their friendship in the last few seconds before their demise?

"Of course. I wont leave you behind. We both against the world, right?"

"I mean-" Lea wets his lips. "Once this is over and we both wont make it out a- Do you think we can meet in the next life? That we will be friends again? That we really are able to stay together for eternity?"

He doesn't know where the thought comes from, just like Isa doesn't have an answer.

"Cause... I don't wanna live in a world where we are not friends. I cant. I wont."

And this sentence lets Isa understand. Lea is scared. Not scared of the creatures or even death. He is scared of what comes after, if there is something after that is and there only is one way to take this fear from him. 

He takes Lea's hand and gives it a squeeze, also holding onto the Frisbee he still carries. 

"Yes. No matter what happens now or in the future. I will always be there for you. You wont be able to get rid of me. Even after fourteen years I wasn't able to forget you, not even death can help in that case."

Lea chuckles quietly, a sad noise.

"Best friends in every life." He whispers.

"Best friends forever." Isa confirms and then all hell breaks lose. 

The shadows jump them. Isa fights. Lea fights. They gave all they have to destroy their enemies.

"Isa!"

A shadow was able to get onto Leas back, another one is aiming for his head. Isa doesn't think long before throwing them on the ground. They soon get up and go after Lea again. Most of them do. No wonder. They are after hearts and Leas heart always shined brighter than a flurry of flames. But Isa cant let them have him. He cant watch his friend die right in front of his eyes. He acts without thinking throwing himself before his best friend, shielding him in the process.

Lea gasps in shock. One of his frisbees hit the ground with a thud. The dull sounds echoes through the air. His heart stops.

"Isa!" He runs forward to help his friend.

"Lea, run!"

The shadows are clawing at the older boy. Almost engulfing him in their darkness. Lea tries to get them off but its a feeble attempt.

"What?"

He must have heard wrong. How could he-?

Isa pushes him away.

Lea falls to the ground, only able to watch the others attempt of freeing himself from the cage the creatures form around him.

"Shut up and run!" Isa screams desperate. 

"I wont ever leave you alone! Never!"

"Lea, I beg you! Get into safety! I-" He stops with wide eyes, a stunned gasp leaving his lips, followed by a strangled noise.

A long whine is dragging itself outta his throat.

Lea trembles. _No..._

One of the creatures has its claws _inside_ Isa's chest and pulls

"No..." A violent tug goes through Isa's body. Lea cant breath.

"No..." His pulse weakens. Lea hakes his head.

"No..." His eyes start to drop. Lea chokes on a sob. 

"No!!!" His heart... leaves his chest...

"ISAAA!"

"Run.... idiot..."

And he does... Lea runs. He doesn't know how or why, cant even say when. Maybe after Isa's body dropped to the ground? Or was it the second he could see the bright crystal of a heart leaving his body?

He doesn't know. All he knows is that he has to listen to Isa, he has to get away. Isa sure is following him. It has to be. What he saw was a mere trick played to him by his mind.

He probably imagined the worst possible ending. That has to be it, his fantasy went through with him. His fear.  
Isa is fine. He is chasing after Lea. He has to be. Any second now, he will rest a hand on top of his shoulder and urge him to go faster, followed by a insult, that Lea wont even respond to in his relief. Its gonna be like always.

Lea doesn't even notice the hot tears streaming down his cold cheeks. How his vision starts to blur and his breath spirals outta control. Silent sobs wrack his body making breathing even harder and single dark spots appear in his vision. He cant breath, He cant think. His body is aching, his legs want to give in and--

Lea stops. 

_There is a hand resting on his shoulder._

A heavy hand full of sharp claws. 

Lea swallows. He will die any second know. He knows he will be dead as soon as he tuns around. Its almost funny. He isn't scared at all. He is numb. He can only think about one thing: Isa.

He surely wont go down without revenging him. 

He whirls around and lifts his weapon, but the creature is faster.

The claws inside of his chest feels surreal, just like the pain. He never felt pain like that before. It only lasts for a second. The pain that is. There for a second and forgotten in the next. Lea doesn't really understand what happened until he can see a bright heart vanishing into the air before him. 

Is that... his?

His lips form a silent scream, scarred and unbelieving. His eyes are blown wide not able to look away from the heart, the life cruelly taken from him.  
Without him realizing his hand grows numb. The last frisbee falls to the ground, followed by the boys body itself 

Satisfied the creatures disappears in his own shadows, sensing no more light to take...

~

A few seconds after the shadows disappearance Lea's fingers curl into the muddy, shard filled ground. 

Its heavy...

Everything is so heavy and hazy but--

He forces himself onto his legs. Wobbly and barely able to stand. He can feel a pain in his heart... no wait, its his chest. His chest hurts, feels like its on fire. Feels empty...

There is blood tainting the ground beneath him, his shirt and jacket drenched in it. There is so much... he can even feel it on his arms, running down his chest and stomach. 

Not really caring he stumbles forward. Every step he takes make black spots explode in his vision. He feels like dying, just like he should have done a few minutes ago. 

_How long can one survive without a heart?_

Believing a study of Even a few minutes if you are lucky. Minutes he will use as long as he can. 

He stumbles and almost falls over the rumble. The way appears longer than earlier. He doesn't even know if he goes into the right direction and then... he finds it.

His goal.

The place his last thought brings him too.

The only place he is able to die in, the only place where he can make sure that its true. 

Sadly it is. 

Lea can see it from afar. The person he is looking for. The bluehaired teen laying unmoving on the ground.

"I...s...a." he rasps, almost choking on the blood that fills his mouth. Suddenly he falls. He cant even feel it. Cant process that he is unable to go, that his legs grow weak... numb. 

All he can see is his best friend. Silent, pale, lying in a puddle of his own blood, lifeless. 

_Dead._ Leas head provides. _Isa isn't silent. He is dead. Isa is dead!_

He knew it from the start and still never really processed it until now. He couldn't save Isa...and now...

Slowly he reaches for his hand and takes it. Its cold, colder than before, no pulse to feel. 

_I am sorry, Isa... I wasn't able to do it. I was too slow and now.. now we both are down._

Lea smiles. At least he thinks he is. He cant feel it. He cant feel anything. Not his body, not Isas hand, not even sadness. He is empty. Utterly empty. Nothing more but a shell.

_See us in the next live...Isa... I promise.._

He cant bring himself to close his eyes, to take them off the fear striken face and still loses his sight. Followed by the shine in his green eyes, the last sign of life.

_Best friends in every life_

_Best friends forever_

Sadly not every promise is to be kept.

 


End file.
